Originally Posted By: dnewton3
Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
+2....Why bother with either of these filters....when the Fram ULTRA beats them in every category..... including price, contruction and efficiency.
I'm more than perplexed how you can make a statment like that.
Price is dependent upon source and location; that will always be a give and take siuation. We can always find sales, closeouts, etc. Right now Napa has a $5 rebate that would put its price well below that of what I can find for the FU. But I know Fram has extended sales promotions before as well; they currently offer $4 off a combo of oil and air filter, so if you claim that you are paying retail for the air filter, then the oil filter is $4 off, or you can split it 50/50 in savings, etc. I don't currently see a P1S promotion, but they are often paired up with lubes in AAP and AZ ads. Here's the bottom line on price:
It's a game - get it? All in all, they are probably going to average nearly equal in price. They are premium filters that are going to cost more than your "normal" filter, and may be a bit more or less than their direct competitors, simply depending upon what sale you find on what day.
Construction? You claim that the FU "beats" the others? In just what way? Please be specific in your answer. We've already discussed that they all (FU, P1S, NP) have syn media, backed by wire and having high capacity, with silicone ADBVs, with heavy steel cans and base plates, robust bypass valves, etc. I fail to understand how you can say any one of these "beats" the others. Just what attributes would you tout in the FU that are superior to the P1S or NP?
As for the efficiency, I'd have to say that the FU is certainly excellent, but the real performance of it, versus the others, has yet to be established.
Here's what's officially posted on the relevant brand sites:
FU: 99%* "FRAM Group testing of average filter efficiency and dirt holding capacity using FRAM XG3387A, XG8A, and XG4967 and their leading economy filter model equivalents under ISO 4548-12 for particles > 20 microns." (note that they only state this applies to particles "> 20 um" and not at 20um) - that is somewhat ambiguous, because "greater than" is not the same as "at" ...
P1S: 99% "*Based on ISO 4548-12 at 25 microns on PSL30001"
NP: I cannot find any claim on their efficiency, but as they are a rebrand of the Wix XP, we can presume that they would echo the Wix rating of "B2=20". The Wix XP has what several of us suspect to be a "typo" in their efficiency statement. I cannot fathom such a premium filter only being 50% at 20um, as could any other informed BITOGer. At best, it's an unknown.
So, I would ask, as a matter of conversation, you defend your statment and explain just how the Fu "beats" the others. Price is awlays in flux, construction is a total equal alternate, and efficney statements are basically ambiguous and/or flawed. On what peg are you able to hang your hat to support your claim? I'm curious ... And please be specific and detailed in your reponse.
Only thing I do not like about the FRAM ULTRA is the bypass, its the same bypass as the Fram Extra Gaurd.
Why didnt they invent a better bypass?
I believe its still a great FILTER and for the $ you cant go wrong.
Ill try one soon. Right now I have a FRAM TRT HM 7317 in just for the heck of it.
LOL!